Far East official asks Putin to postpone September 8 election due to flood

Putin has not commented on the initiative so far

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Alexander Vinnikov, Photo ITAR-TASS/Maksim Shemetov

KHABAROVSK, August 29 (Itar-Tass) - Governor of the Jewish Autonomous Area Alexander Vinnikov has asked Russian President Vladimir Putin to postpone by one year the regional elections scheduled for September 8 because of the flood.

"I'd ask you to decide on postponing the date of voting and simultaneously prolong the powers of local self-rule bodies by at least a year," Vinnikov said at conference over flood relief in Khabarovsk on Thursday.

"Holding elections today would be diversion of means and resources, because voting is not possible: we'll need additional helicopters and boats. Most importantly, the contingency limits the population's opportunities to take part in the election," the governor said.